The President of the Costa del Sol Tourist Board, Salvador Pendón, disclosed domestic market data in the face of a new edition of Fitur. The data are encouraging, as most domestic market indicators are positive and the position of the Costa del Sol is strong as compared to that of other travel destinations.
According to the data disclosed by Mr Pendón, in 2010 the Costa del Sol kept its strong position, doing better than rival destinations. The tourists who visited Málaga last year amounted to 8,828,000, i.e. 1.01% more than in 2009.
The domestic market posted significant growth, accounting for 41.9% of demand with 3.6 million tourists. In 2009, the number of Spanish visitors had been 7.6% lower and Spain’s share of demand had been 34.3%.
As to hotel stays, 2.3 million Spanish tourists stayed in Málaga’s registered hotels, accounting for 7.7 million overnight stays (+6.13%).
Also, in 2010, airport arrivals from Spanish cities rose by 9.5% to 1.26 million. The car, however, is still the most popular means of transport with domestic travellers (64.8%).
Hotel stays by Spanish tourists increased by 5.3%, totalling 6.3 million. This rise was the result of longer stays (six more days). On the other hand, the number of hotel guests fell by 1.9% (2 million).
As to holiday apartments, the number of overnight stays by Spanish travellers rose by 24.53%. However, hotels are still the most popular type of accommodation, chosen by 6 out of 10 Spanish visitors.
With regard to travel budget, the average for Spanish tourists was €706.40 in 2010, vis-à-vis 362.07 in 2009. This has to do with the fact that the average stay was longer (12.4 vs. 6 days on average). Longer stays are in turn motivated by the crisis and the concomitant choice of a destination that is closer to home.
Within the domestic market, Andalusia kept the largest share, mainly for geographical reasons. Other relevant outbound regions included Madrid, Castile-La Mancha, Castile-León, the Basque Country, and Galicia.
Regarding trip planning, 76% Spanish tourists planned their own trips in 2010. Only 10% resorted to travel agencies. As to their level of satisfaction, 90% described their holidays on the Costa del Sol as “good” or “very good.”
Last but not least, 44.7% Spanish visitors had been to Málaga five or more times, 94% said they would recommend our travel destination, and 69% promised to come back in the next three years.
Source: Patronato de Turismo de la Costa del Sol
